Notification-needed information presenting apparatus, notification-needed information presenting method, and non-transitory computer readable storage medium

ABSTRACT

A notification-needed information presenting apparatus that includes a plurality of display devices configured to display information to an occupant of a vehicle, at least one sensor included in each of the plurality of display devices that is configured to detect at least one of a position of the occupant and a behavior of the occupant, and a processor operatively coupled with the plurality of display devices and each of the at least one sensor that is programmed to determine behavior of the occupant toward the plurality of display devices, and control the plurality of display devices to present an advertisement to the occupant in accordance with at least one of: the determined behavior of the occupant, and a condition related to the vehicle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/194,071, filedJun. 27 2016, which claims priority to and incorporates by reference theentire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-174216 filed inJapan on Sep. 3, 2015 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-174218filed in Japan on Sep. 3, 2015.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a technique for presenting informationthat an occupant of a vehicle needs to be notified of to the occupant inaccordance with the behavior of the occupant and with situations relatedto operation of the vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art

In recent years, the development of techniques for automated driving hasbeen pushed forward. In relation to automated driving, conventionaltechniques for notifying an occupant of a danger while a vehicle istraveling include a proposed technique that enables danger levels ofdangers that the occupant is notified of to be changed depending onwhether the vehicle is under fully automated driving or human-operateddriving (for example, Japanese Patent No. 4735310).

In this connection, the current situation is as follows: information fordriving (such as a vehicle speed, a remaining fuel quantity, a map, andnavigational assistance on the direction of travel) is displayed on adisplay unit for driving (such as, for example, a dashboard or a displayscreen in front of a driver, or a screen for navigation); and displayingother contents (such as a television program) on a display unit fordriving and the driver's using information devices and screens otherthan a display unit for driving are prohibited.

However, in the future, with the advent of fully reliable automateddriving, it will be a common practice for drivers to take their eyes offthe outside of the vehicle and the dashboard or a display screen in thevehicle. As a consequence, there will possibly be situations wherecontents are displayed on a display screen installed in an automateddriving vehicle, where contents are displayed on an information device(such as a smartphone or a tablet personal computer (PC) carried intothe vehicle by an occupant) other than that installed in an automateddriving vehicle, and where an occupant is focusing his or her attentionexclusively on such contents.

In this case, if danger notification is given only in an audio form oronly through a display apparatus of an automated driving apparatus, itmeans that the notification is communicated through a different routethan the information device that the occupant faces. Resultinginconveniences would include that the communication does notappropriately reach the occupant, that the occupant is unable to make aquick decision on which route to be used for an immediate operationresponding to the communication, and that a response time lag occurs,for example, because the occupant has to change his/her orientation soas to face the display unit for driving. For this reason, there is apotential need for control that is performed when danger notification isgiven to a display apparatus basically intended for content utilizationand to an information device other than a device installed in a vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to at least partially solve theproblems in the conventional technology.

A notification-needed information presenting apparatus

The notification-needed information presenting apparatus according tothe present application includes at least one information presentingunit capable of presenting information to an occupant of a vehicle, anotification-needed information acquiring unit that acquiresnotification-needed information, which is information that the occupantneeds to be notified of through the information presenting unit inrelation to operation of the vehicle, an occupant behavior determiningunit that determines behavior of the occupant toward the informationpresenting unit, and a presentation controlling unit that controls theinformation presenting unit to present the notification-neededinformation to the occupant in accordance with the behavior of theoccupant determined by the occupant behavior determining unit.

The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical andindustrial significance of this invention will be better understood byreading the following detailed description of presently preferredembodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of an in-vehiclestate of a vehicle capable of automated driving to which anotification-needed information presenting apparatus in one embodimentaccording to the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of functional blocksof a notification-needed information presenting apparatus in a firstembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example ofnotification-needed information;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the behavior of anoccupant;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of control performed onindividual information presenting units in accordance with the behaviorof the occupant in the example of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram representing an example of the hardwarecomposition of the notification-needed information presenting apparatusin the first embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure ofprocessing that the notification-needed information presenting apparatusin the first embodiment performs;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart representing one example of the procedure ofprocessing for controlling presentation of an advertisement in the firstembodiment;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of functional blocksof a notification-needed information presenting apparatus in a secondembodiment;

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of notification-neededinformation with which notification levels are assigned;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of functional blocksof a notification-needed information presenting apparatus in a thirdembodiment;

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating an example of functional blocksof a notification-needed information presenting apparatus in a fourthembodiment;

FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of highlightingnotification-needed information against other information;

FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram depicting an example of a graphic userinterface (GUI) part for receiving operational control.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating an example of functional blocksof a notification-needed information presenting apparatus in a fifthembodiment; and

FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating an example of functional blocksof a notification-needed information presenting apparatus in a sixthembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following describes embodiments of the present invention withreference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are notintended to limit the present invention, and the present invention canbe carried out in various aspects without departing from the scopethereof.

First Embodiment

Summary

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of an in-vehiclestate of a vehicle capable of automated driving to which anotification-needed information presenting apparatus in one embodimentof the present invention is applied. As illustrated, an occupant sittingin the front row is using a tablet PC in the hands of the occupant withhis or her back facing the direction of travel. Another occupant sittingin the rear row is using a laptop PC. In this vehicle, a displayapparatus for displaying information for driving and navigationinformation is installed in a dashboard.

In this situation, for example, when the remaining fuel quantity hasdecreased to the extent that fueling is needed, the need to notify theoccupants thereof arises. When such notification is made through thedisplay apparatus installed in the dashboard, it is doubtful that thenotification appropriately reaches the occupant sitting with his or herback facing the display apparatus. Therefore, the present apparatusnotifies the occupant sitting with his or her back toward the directionof travel, of the decrease in remaining fuel through the tablet PC thatis being used by this occupant. Accurate notification about informationthat the occupant needs to be notified of is thus enabled.

Configuration

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of functional blocksof a notification-needed information presenting apparatus in a firstembodiment. Each of the functional blocks of the present apparatusdescribed below is implemented as a combination of hardware andsoftware. Specifically, in the case of using a computer, examples ofcomponents in the combination include: hardware component units such asa central processing unit (CPU), a main memory, a system bus, asecondary storage device (such as a hard disk drive, a non-volatilememory, or a combination of storage media (such as a compact disc (CD)and a digital versatile disc (DVD)) and a drive for reading the media),an input device that is utilized for inputting information, a displayapparatus, and an external peripheral apparatus other than the foregoingapparatuses; an interface for the external peripheral apparatus; aninterface for communication; driver programs for controlling such piecesof hardware; other application programs; and an application for a userinterface.

In this case, the CPU performs arithmetic processing in accordance witha program loaded on the main memory, so that: data and the like thathave been input from the input device and other devices such as aninterface and been retained on a memory or a hard disk are processed andaccumulated; and instructions for controlling the above respectivepieces of hardware and software are generated. The functional block ofthe present apparatus may be implemented as dedicated hardware. Thepresent apparatus is not limited to being configured in the form of asingle piece of hardware or software, and may be configured in the formof a plurality of pieces of hardware and/or software or be configured soas to include a server apparatus across a network.

This invention not only can be implemented as an apparatus but also canbe implemented as a method. Furthermore, a part of this invention can beconfigured as software. Obviously, the technical scope of this inventionincludes a computer program for use in causing a computer to execute thesoftware, and a recording medium in which the computer program isretained (the same applies to all through the entirety of the presentspecification).

As illustrated in FIG. 2, a notification-needed information presentingapparatus 0200 in the first embodiment includes an informationpresenting unit 0201, a notification-needed information acquiring unit0202, an occupant behavior determining unit 0203, a presentationcontrolling unit 0204, and an advertisement presentation controllingunit 0205. The advertisement presentation controlling unit 0205 is notan essential component that the notification-needed informationpresenting apparatus in the first embodiment needs to include.

The present apparatus is intended to present notification-neededinformation to an occupant of a vehicle capable of automated driving asdescribed above but is not intended for a specific level of automateddriving (any one of levels defined stepwise such as individual drivingassistance, semi-automated driving, nearly automated driving, and fullyautomated driving), and effectively works also in an automobile thatemploys Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). Examples of thevehicle include not only private vehicles but also commercial vehiclesand vehicles for construction and other purposes, and include not onlyfour-wheeled vehicles (including multiple-wheeled vehicles such assix-wheeled and eight-wheeled vehicles) but also three-wheeled vehiclesand two-wheeled vehicles (including stand-and-ride type two-wheelvehicles), and may include boats, ships and airplanes.

The information presenting unit 0201 is capable of presentinginformation to an occupant of the vehicle. For example, a display thatprovides information related to traveling of the vehicle such as thevehicle speed and fuel, a touch screen that indicates the states ofequipment such as audio equipment and air-conditioning equipment and areused for operating these pieces of equipment, or a navigation devicecorresponds to the information presenting unit 0201. A display (forexample, a display for occupants in the rear seats) installed in theinterior of the vehicle for displaying a video content or the like withno relation to operation of the vehicle also corresponds thereto.

An information processing apparatus such as a smartphone or a tablet PCthat an occupant has carried into the vehicle also corresponds thereto.To present information means to provide some sort of information in amanner appealing to the sense of an occupant such as the sense of sight,the sense of hearing, or the sense of touch. For example, information isprovided in a manner appealing to the sense of sight using a video,light or the like, appealing to the sense of hearing using sound or thelike, or appealing to the sense of touch using vibration or the like.The information presenting units 0201 can be thus present as a pluralityof separate units.

The notification-needed information acquiring unit 0202 acquiresnotification-needed information, which is information that the occupantneeds to be notified of through the information presenting unit 0201 inrelation to operation of the vehicle. Examples of thenotification-needed information include information that the occupantneeds to be notified of in relation to the vehicle itself, such as a lowremaining fuel quantity, a reduction in pneumatic pressure of a tire, atire having gone flat, failures (including potential failures) of thevarious pieces of equipment, and an unavoidable collision.

Examples thereof further include information that the occupant needs tobe notified of in relation to the surrounding environment, such as aroad being impassable or under a traffic restriction due to an accidentor a disaster, a traffic jam, approach of an emergency vehicle or anobstacle, snowfall, and a frozen road surface. FIG. 3 is a conceptualdiagram illustrating an example of the notification-needed informationacquired. As illustrated, the category of information and the date andhour of acquisition, for example, may be acquired in addition to thecontent of the notification-needed information. Such information as thesource of information, whether any occupant has responded to thenotification, and whether second notification is needed may beadditionally acquired and retained.

In acquisition of the notification-needed information, for example, theinformation on the vehicle itself can be acquired from various detectionmodules installed in the vehicle, and the information relating to thesurrounding environment can be acquired through information receptionfrom VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System; registeredtrademark), by use of the Internet, and from equipment such as a radar,laser intensity direction and ranging (LIDAR), Global Positioning System(GPS), and a camera.

The occupant behavior determining unit 0203 determines the behavior ofthe occupant toward the information presenting units 0201. The behaviorof an occupant toward the information presenting units 0201 can bevariously defined. Examples of the behavior of an occupant toward eachof the information presenting units 0201 installed in the vehicle thatpresent information for navigation and information relating to thevehicle include the positional relation between the informationpresenting unit 0201 and the occupant, the physical posture of theoccupant toward the information presenting unit 0201, and the content ofinformation being presented by the information presenting unit 0201 tothe occupant. The occupant behavior determining unit 0203 may determine,for example, the temperature of the occupant, whether the occupant ishaving a conversation with another occupant, the content of aconversation, whether the occupant is eating, and what kind of food ordrink is being taken.

These specific details of the behavior of the occupant can be determinedby having each of the information presenting units 0201 equipped with ahuman sensor and/or an eye tracking sensor, and/or equipped with acamera. Furthermore, the presence or absence of an occupant near theinformation presenting unit 0201 can be determined from whether theinformation presenting unit 0201 is being operated. The position of anoccupant inside the vehicle can be determined by having a pressuresensor in each seat of the vehicle or capturing an image of the interiorof the vehicle by an infrared camera.

Examples of the behavior of an occupant toward each of the informationpresenting units 0201 carried into the vehicle by the occupant, such asmobile terminals including a smartphone and a tablet PC, include whetherthe information presenting unit 0201 is being operated by the occupantand what content the information presenting unit 0201 is presenting. Afurther determination may be made as to toward which region within theentirety of a display the eyes of an occupant are directed.

These types of behavior of an occupant are determined in a mannerincluding: detecting, with a vibration sensor and/or a human sensorinstalled in the information presenting unit 0201, the presence of anoccupant having the information presenting unit 0201 in his or her handor hands; and acquiring the operational state (such as displaying avideo content, reproducing a music content, or using the Internet) ofthe information presenting unit 0201. In addition, the position of anoccupant inside the vehicle may be detected, and the following may bedetermined: which one of the information presenting units 0201 theoccupant is using; and where inside the vehicle and how the occupant isusing the information presenting unit 0201.

Acquisition of information detected by the information presenting units0201 and information indicating the operational states of theinformation presenting units 0201 can be carried out by an informationprocessing apparatus (hereinafter also referred to as an in-vehicleinformation processing apparatus) installed in the vehicle for variouskinds of processing such as acquisition, retention, and display ofvarious kinds of information on the vehicle itself and for navigation.In addition, acquisition of various kinds of information from theinformation presenting units 0201 can be implemented with communicationestablished between each of the information presenting units 0201carried into the vehicle and the above information processing apparatus.The communication is implemented over near field communication, awireless LAN, the Internet, or the like.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the behavior of anoccupant that has been determined by the occupant behavior determiningunit 0203. The total number of information presenting units 0201 set inthis example is four. “POSITION” indicates the position of an occupant001, who is positioned in the right front seat in this example.“POSITIONAL RELATION” indicates, for example, the positional relationsand the postures of the respective information presenting units 0201with and toward the occupant 001. As illustrated, the occupant 001 isnear a display for driving but with his or her back facing the display.At the same time, it is indicated that a mobile terminal is being heldin the hand of the occupant. “PRESENTED CONTENT” indicates contents thatthe respective information presenting units 0201 are presenting.

Information for driving is being presented on the display for driving,and a map is being presented on a display for navigation without routingassistance provided. The mobile terminal is presenting a game.

As described above, the occupant behavior determining unit 0203 is alsocapable of specifying which one of the information presenting units 0201the occupant is using, and can be described as including an informationpresenting unit specifying module as a module for achieving thisfunction.

In accordance with the behavior of an occupant determined by theoccupant behavior determining unit 0203, the presentation controllingunit 0204 controls the respective information presenting units 0201 topresent notification-needed information to the occupant. FIG. 5 is adiagram illustrating an example of control performed on the individualinformation presenting units 0201 in accordance with the behavior of theoccupant in the example of FIG. 4. For example, the display for drivingis controlled to display thereon notification-needed information alongwith information for driving and to additionally output alerting sound.The display for navigation is controlled to display thereon thenotification-needed information instead of displaying a map. The mobileterminal held in the hand of the occupant is controlled to displaythereon notification-needed information in place of a game screen and tooutput alerting sound, and is further controlled to vibrate. At the sametime, the tablet PC is not controlled to display thereon thenotification-needed information.

Thus, the information presenting unit 0201 that is located near anoccupant and that can be presumed as the one to which the occupant ispaying attention is controlled to present notification-neededinformation, in priority to the other information presenting units 0201.In addition, the display for driving and the display for navigation onwhich an operation or the like can be considered likely to be performedin response to the presented notification-needed information are alsocontrolled to present the notification-needed information. At the sametime, the tablet terminal is controlled not to present thenotification-needed information because it can be considered likely thatthe occupant is paying no attention to the tablet terminal, and becausedistributed presence of the information presenting units 0201 on whichthe notification-needed information is presented may possibly end upconfusing the occupant and preventing the occupant from making anappropriate response. As described above, the controlling onpresentation includes disabling presentation.

Optionally, after the notification-needed information is presented, abutton for asking the occupant for confirmation of the presentedinformation may be displayed, and processing for receiving a spokenreply may be performed. Further optionally, control may be performed sothat presentation of the notification-needed information can becontinued until after the occupant, for example, performs an operationfor the confirmation, replies, or performs an operation for respondingto the information that the occupant is notified of.

As described above, the presentation controlling unit 0204 is capable ofcontrolling the information presenting unit 0201 specified as the onebeing used by an occupant to present notification-needed information,and can be described as including a specified-presentation controllingmodule as a module for achieving this function.

As described above, the behavior of an occupant toward the informationpresenting units 0201 is determined, and the information presentingunits 0201 are controlled to present notification-needed information tothe occupant in accordance with the determined behavior. Thisdetermining and controlling enables the occupant to be notified ofinformation that the occupant needs to be notified of.

The advertisement presentation controlling unit 0205 controls theinformation presenting unit 0201 to present an advertisement inaccordance with at least one of the behavior of an occupant determinedby the occupant behavior determining unit 0203 and a condition relatedto the vehicle. It is considered that presentation of an advertisementto an occupant more effectively works if being performed in accordancewith the behavior of the occupant, the state of traveling of a vehicle,the surrounding environment, and so on.

The behavior of an occupant is as described above. A wide variety ofconditions, such as conditions related to the vehicle itself, conditionsof the surroundings and the environment around the vehicle, and types ofinformation being displayed by the information presenting units 0201inside the vehicle, correspond to the “condition related to thevehicle”. For example, various conditions such as the followingcorrespond thereto: the vehicle inspection expiration date; the vehicleshape; the remaining fuel quantity; the level of automated driving; theweather; the climate; the traveling speed; the current location; whetherthe vehicle is on an ordinary road or on an express highway; trafficvolumes in the surrounding areas; the statuses of automated driving ofthe surrounding vehicles (such as whether there are vehicles travelingin a platoon and the number of vehicles forming the platoon); thedestination; and the traveling history.

Some of these various conditions have been retained in an informationprocessing apparatus and an navigation device that are included in thevehicle; some are acquired by various sensors included in the vehicle;some are input through operations performed by an occupant; some areacquired through broadcasting or the Internet; and some are acquiredfrom GPS. Handling such as acquisition and retention of these conditionsis thus possible.

In one example of control by the advertisement presentation controllingunit 0205, a display for driving that is displaying thereon accumulateddata on the fuel economy is controlled to present an advertisement of anautomobile supply house to an occupant facing the display for driving.The navigation device is controlled to present an advertisement of arestaurant to an occupant searching for nearby restaurants on thenavigation device. The tablet terminal is controlled to present anadvertisement of a travel to an occupant browsing information on atourist spot on the tablet terminal. When the vehicle has just crossed aborder between prefectures, any one of the information presenting units0201 is controlled to present an advertisement of a local specialproduct of the prefecture newly entered by the vehicle. In addition,when the vehicle is traveling on a narrow road or a road crowded withpedestrians, the information presenting units 0201 are controlled not topresent any advertisement. The controlling the information presentingunit 0201 includes disabling presentation of advertisements.

Furthermore, each of the information presenting units 0201 may becontrolled to present an advertisement in a manner that suits thebehavior of an occupant and/or a condition related to the vehicle. Forexample, the display for driving is controlled to present advertisementsonly by way of audio output to an occupant facing the display fordriving. While the vehicle is traveling through a traffic jam and is onautopilot, the display for driving is controlled to present videoadvertisements containing sound for a relatively long period of time.While the vehicle is traveling on a winding mountainous road, thedisplay for driving is controlled to present simple advertisements suchas a combination of a still image and audio output of a trade name.

Furthermore, the advertisement presentation controlling unit 0205 mayinclude an advertisement subordination controlling module configured tocontrol the information presenting units 0201 so that presentation ofadvertisements can be subordinated to presentation ofnotification-needed information. This is because, among matters to bepresented to occupants, notification-needed information has higherpriority than advertisements. This module controls each of theinformation presenting units 0201, for example, in such a manner thatpresentation of an advertisement is disabled while notification-neededinformation is being presented. This module further controls each of theinformation presenting units 0201 so that, when the notification-neededinformation acquiring unit 0202 acquires notification-needed informationwhile an advertisement is being presented thereon, presentation ofvideo-based advertisements can be stopped and text-only advertisementscan be displayed in a corner of the display screen.

Hardware Composition FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram representing anexample of the composition of the notification-needed informationpresenting apparatus obtained when the above functional components areimplemented as hardware. The individual hardware components in thenotification-needed information presenting apparatus are described basedon this diagram.

As illustrated in this diagram, the notification-needed informationpresenting apparatus includes components such as a CPU 0601 forexecuting various kinds of arithmetic processing, a main memory 0602, asecondary storage device 0603, a communication interface 0604, variousdetection modules 0605, and a display 0606, and a speaker 0607. Thereare detected data and various computer programs stored in the secondarystorage device, the various computer programs including a presentationcontrolling program. The CPU 0601 loads each of these various computerprograms onto the main memory to execute the computer program. The aboveindividual hardware components are connected to one another through adata communication path such as a system bus, thereby transmitting andreceiving information to and from one another and processinginformation.

First, the CPU 0601 executes a notification-needed information acquiringprogram, reads out the stored detected data, and then acquires variouskinds of information through the communication interface 0604, therebyacquiring notification-needed information. The CPU 0601 then executes anoccupant-behavior determining program and reads out the stored detecteddata, thereby determining the behavior of each occupant. The detecteddata include detected data acquired from devices, such as a mobileterminal 0608 and a PC apparatus 0609, that are connected through thecommunication interface 0604.

The CPU 0601 then executes the presentation controlling program, therebycontrolling presentation of the notification-needed information throughthe display 0606 unit and the speaker 0607. In addition, the CPU 0601transmits the notification-needed information to the mobile terminal0608 and the PC apparatus 0609 connected through the communicationinterface 0604 and controls presentation of the notification-neededinformation through these devices.

The CPU 0601 also executes the advertisement presentation controllingprogram, thereby controlling presentation of advertisements through thedisplay 0606 and the speaker 0607 and presentation of advertisementsthrough devices such as a mobile terminal. Optionally, the CPU 0601controls the display 0606 and other information presenting units tosubordinate presentation of advertisements to presentation of thenotification-needed information.

Procedure of Processing

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure ofprocessing in the notification-needed information presenting apparatusin the first embodiment. The steps described below may be steps to beexecuted by individual hardware components of a computer such as the onedescribed above (for example, the notification-needed informationpresenting apparatus) or may be processing steps forming a computerprogram for controlling a computer that are recorded in a medium.

As illustrated, at the start, notification-needed information, which isinformation that each occupant needs to be notified of through theinformation presenting unit in relation to operation of a vehicle, isacquired (Notification-needed Information Acquiring Step: S0701).Subsequently, the behavior of the occupant toward each informationpresenting unit is determined (Occupant-behavior Determining Step:S0702). Subsequently, the information presenting unit is controlled topresent the notification-needed information to each occupant inaccordance with the behavior of the occupant determined atOccupant-behavior Determining Step (Presentation Controlling Step:S0703).

FIG. 8 is a flowchart representing one example of the procedure ofprocessing for controlling presentation of an advertisement in the firstembodiment. As illustrated, at the start, the behavior of the occupanttoward each information presenting unit is determined (Occupant-behaviorDetermining Step: S0801). Subsequently, the information presenting unitis controlled to present an advertisement in accordance with at leastone of the behavior of each occupant determined at Occupant-behaviorDetermining Step and a condition related to a vehicle (AdvertisementPresentation Controlling Step: S0802).

Effects

The notification-needed information presenting apparatus 0200 in thefirst embodiment enables an occupant to be notified of information thatthe occupant needs to be notified of.

Second Embodiment

Summary

A notification-needed information presenting apparatus in a secondembodiment is based on the first embodiment, and is characterized inthat an information presenting unit is controlled to presentnotification-needed information in accordance with the extent to whichan occupant needs to be notified of the notification-needed information.

Configuration

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of functional blocksof the notification-needed information presenting apparatus in thesecond embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 9, a notification-neededinformation presenting apparatus 0900 in the second embodiment includesan information presenting unit 0901, a notification-needed informationacquiring unit 0902, an occupant behavior determining unit 0903, and apresentation controlling unit 0904; the notification-needed informationacquiring unit 0902 includes a notification level acquiring module 0905;and the presentation controlling unit 0904 includes a notification leveldependent presentation controlling module 0906. Illustration anddescription of an advertisement presentation controlling unit isomitted. The information presenting unit 0901 and the occupant behaviordetermining unit 0903 are the same as the corresponding units in thefirst embodiment and description thereof is therefore omitted.

The notification level acquiring module 0905 acquires a notificationlevel of notification-needed information, which is the extent to whichan occupant needs to be notified of the notification-needed information.FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of pieces ofnotification-needed information to which notification levels acquired bythe notification level acquiring module are assigned. The notificationlevels are expressed as 10 levels, and Level 10 indicates that theextent to which notification about notification-needed information isneeded is the highest. Acquisition of the notification levels is enabledby, for example, retaining a table in which contents of pieces ofnotification-needed information are associated with the notificationlevels thereof. The notification level dependent presentationcontrolling module 0906 controls the information presenting unit 0901 topresent each piece of notification-needed information in accordance withthe notification level thereof. Examples of a manner of presentingnotification-needed information the notification level of which is highinclude: presenting the information after outputting an alerting loudwarning tone; causing a display to flash so as to appeal to the sense ofsight of an occupant; and vibrating a mobile terminal. Thenotification-needed information may be presented repeatedly so as to bepresented for a long time period.

In contrast, notification-needed information the notification level ofwhich is low may be presented, for example, in such a manner that textis displayed in a scrolled manner in a corner of a display that isdisplaying a video content, so as not to disturb the content viewing.The presentation may be controlled so that the outline of thenotification-needed information can provisionally presented, and that nofurther information can be presented unless an operation for requestingpresentation of detailed information is received from an occupant.

The notification-needed information presenting apparatus 0900 in thesecond embodiment can be implemented according to the hardwarecomposition in the first embodiment. The procedure of processing thereinis the same as the procedure of processing described in the firstembodiment except that Notification-needed Information Acquiring Stepincludes processing for acquiring the notification level of each pieceof notification-needed information, and that Presentation ControllingStep includes processing for controlling the presentation controllingunit 0904 in accordance with the acquired notification level.

Effects

Notification-needed information is presented in accordance with thenotification level of the notification-needed information, which enablesan occupant to be notified accurately of information that the occupantparticularly needs to be notified of.

Third Embodiment

Summary

A notification-needed information presenting apparatus in a thirdembodiment is based on the first or the second embodiment, and ischaracterized in that notification-needed information is presented inaccordance with the category of information that is being presented toan occupant by the information presenting unit.

Configuration

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of functional blocksof the notification-needed information presenting apparatus in the thirdembodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 11, a notification-needed informationpresenting apparatus 1100 in the third embodiment includes aninformation presenting unit 1101, a notification-needed informationacquiring unit 1102, an occupant behavior determining unit 1103, and apresentation controlling unit 1104; the occupant behavior determiningunit 1103 includes a presented-information category acquiring module1105; and the presentation controlling unit 1104 includes apresented-information dependent presentation controlling module 1106.Illustration and description of an advertisement presentationcontrolling unit is omitted. The information presenting unit 1101 andthe notification-needed information acquiring unit 1102 are the same asthe corresponding units in the first or second embodiment anddescription thereof is therefore omitted.

The presented-information category acquiring module 1105 acquires apresented-information category, namely, the category of presentedinformation, which is information that the information presenting unit1101 is presenting to an occupant. As examples of thepresented-information category, various categories can be listed such asinformation for traveling of a vehicle, routing assistance, televisionbroadcast, a video content recorded on a medium, the Internet use, agame, and execution of various applications. As thepresented-information categories, more detailed categories may beacquired such as a program being broadcast, the content of a videocontent, and a category of a website or service (based on categorizationinto social networking services (SNS), searching, and news, for example)being used. The occupant behavior determining unit 1103 may acquireoperational information (such as swiping, or inputting a query such as acharacter string), which is information on an operation being performedby an occupant on such presented-information, that is, information beingbrowsed.

The presented-information dependent presentation controlling module 1106controls the information presenting unit 1101 to presentnotification-needed information in accordance with at least one of thepresented-information category and the operational information that havebeen acquired. For example, when the acquired presented-informationcategory is a television broadcast program that is a tabloid show, theinformation presenting unit 1101 is controlled to present thenotification-needed information instead of presenting the televisionbroadcast. When the presented-information category is a website fortrading financial products such as stocks on the Internet and is ascreen immediately before ordering, the information presenting unit 1101is controlled to present the notification-needed information in the formof text only on the corner of a display screen so as not to disturb theoccupant in viewing the presented information, or to presentnotification information the notification level of which is a certainlevel or higher. Optionally, the information presenting unit 1101 may becontrolled not to present notification-needed information, for example,during execution of an operation for trading or the like, duringswiping, or during inputting of a query such as a character string, andpresent the notification-needed information after a certain time periodstarting from the end of such an operation.

Furthermore, when a plurality of pieces of notification-neededinformation are acquired, priorities in presenting these respectivepieces of notification-needed information may be determined inaccordance with the acquired presented-information category. Forexample, in a case where “a failure of a headlight” and “a traffic jamahead in the route” are acquired as pieces of notification-neededinformation the acquired presented-information category is “routingassistance to a filling station”, the control is performed so as topresent “a traffic jam ahead in the route” in priority to the other.

The notification-needed information presenting apparatus 1100 in thethird embodiment can be implemented according to the hardwarecomposition in the first or second embodiment. The procedure ofprocessing therein is the same as the procedure of processing describedin the first or second embodiment except that Occupant-behaviorDetermining Step includes processing for acquiring apresented-information category, and that Presentation Controlling Stepincludes processing for controlling the presentation controlling unit1104 in accordance with the acquired presented-information category.

Effects

The notification-needed information presenting apparatus 1100 in thethird embodiment enables an occupant to be notified ofnotification-needed information that suits the category of presentedinformation that is being presented.

Fourth Embodiment

Summary

A notification-needed information presenting apparatus in a fourthembodiment is based on any one of the first to third embodiments, and ischaracterized in that notification-needed information is presented whilebeing highlighted against other information being presented, and that agraphic user interface (GUI) part for use in, for example, operating avehicle is presented as notification-needed information.

Configuration

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating an example of functional blocksof the notification-needed information presenting apparatus in thefourth embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 12, a notification-neededinformation presenting apparatus 1200 in the fourth embodiment includesan information presenting unit 1201, a notification-needed informationacquiring unit 1202, an occupant behavior determining unit 1203, and apresentation controlling unit 1204; and the presentation controllingunit 1204 includes a highlighting module 1205 and an operational-controlreceiving GUI part displaying module 1206. Illustration and descriptionof an advertisement presentation controlling unit is omitted. Theinformation presenting unit 1201, the notification-needed informationacquiring unit 1202, and the occupant behavior determining unit 1203 arethe same as the corresponding units in any one of the first to thirdembodiments and description thereof is therefore omitted.

The highlighting module 1205 controls each of the information presentingunits 1201 to highlight notification-needed information against otherinformation being presented by the information presenting unit 1201.FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of highlightingnotification-needed information against other information.

As illustrated, it is supposed that an image of a sunflower (hereinafter“sunflower image”) is being presented as an element of some content on amobile terminal that is the information presenting unit 1201. In thissituation, when notification-needed information is acquired, thenotification-needed information “Warning!Fuel is running out” issuperimposed on the “sunflower image” while the sunflower image is madelighter. The notification-needed information is thus highlighted. Theoccupant can be notified accurately of the notification-neededinformation by presenting the notification-needed information thereto asis the case in this example.

The operational-control receiving GUI part displaying module 1206controls the information presenting unit 1201 to display thereon, as apiece of notification-needed information, a GUI part for receivingoperational control on a vehicle from an occupant. FIG. 14 is aconceptual diagram depicting an example of a GUI part for receivingoperational control.

As illustrated, a GUI part “Search for filling stations” is displayed atthe same time as a piece of notification-needed information “Warning!Fuel is running out” is displayed. When the occupant presses this GUIpart, operations for searching for nearby filling stations and forrouting assistance are received. Examples of a GUI part to be displayedinclude, in addition to the one given as an example above, GUI parts forreceiving various kinds of operational control such as changing modes ofautomated driving and switching from automated driving to human-operateddriving.

The notification-needed information presenting apparatus 1200 in thefourth embodiment can be implemented according to the hardwarecomposition in any one of the first to third embodiments. The procedureof processing therein is the same as the procedure of processingdescribed in any one of the first to third embodiments except thatPresentation Controlling Step includes processing for controlling theinformation presenting unit 1201 to highlight notification-neededinformation against information being presented by the informationpresenting unit 1201, and processing for controlling the presentationcontrolling unit to display thereon, as a piece of notification-neededinformation, a GUI part for receiving operational control on a vehiclefrom an occupant.

Effects

The notification-needed information presenting apparatus 1200 in thefourth embodiment enables an occupant to be notified accurately ofnotification-needed information, and enables the occupant to easilyperform an operation for responding to the notification-neededinformation.

As described above, a notification-needed information presentingapparatus according to the present application includes: at least oneinformation presenting unit capable of presenting information to anoccupant of a vehicle; a notification-needed information acquiring unitconfigured to acquire notification-needed information, which isinformation that the occupant needs to be notified of through theinformation presenting unit in relation to operation of the vehicle; anoccupant behavior determining unit configured to determine the behaviorof the occupant toward the information presenting unit; and apresentation controlling unit configured to control the informationpresenting unit to present the notification-needed information to theoccupant in accordance with the behavior of the occupant determined bythe occupant behavior determining unit.

While including the above composition, another notification-neededinformation presenting apparatus according to the present applicationincludes a plurality of such information presenting units; the occupantbehavior determining unit includes an information presenting unitspecifying module configured to specify which one of the informationpresenting units used by the occupant; and the presentation controllingunit includes a specified-presentation controlling module configured tocontrol the specified information presenting unit to present thenotification-needed information.

Still another notification-needed information presenting apparatus isprovided that includes any one of the above compositions, in which: thenotification-needed information acquiring unit includes a notificationlevel acquiring module configured to acquire a notification level, whichis the extent to which an occupant needs to be notified ofnotification-needed information; and the presentation controlling unitincludes a notification level dependent presentation controlling moduleconfigured to control the information presenting unit to present thenotification-needed information in accordance with the notificationlevel.

Still another notification-needed information presenting apparatus isprovided that includes any one of the above compositions, in which: theoccupant behavior determining unit includes a presented-informationcategory acquiring module configured to acquire a presented-informationcategory, namely, the category of presented information, which isinformation that the information presenting unit is presenting to anoccupant; and the presentation controlling unit includes apresented-information dependent presentation controlling moduleconfigured to control the information presenting unit to presentnotification-needed information in accordance with the acquiredpresented-information category. Still another notification-neededinformation presenting apparatus is provided that includes any one ofthe above compositions, in which the presentation controlling unitincludes: a highlighting module configured to control the informationpresenting unit to highlight notification-needed information againstinformation being presented by the information presenting unit; and anoperational-control receiving GUI part displaying module configured tocontrol the presentation controlling unit to display thereon, as a pieceof notification-needed information, a GUI part for receiving operationalcontrol on a vehicle from an occupant.

A notification-needed information presenting method to be carried out ina notification-needed information presenting apparatus including aninformation presenting unit capable of presenting information to anoccupant of a vehicle is also provided that includes: acquiringnotification-needed information, which is information that the occupantneeds to be notified of through the information presenting unit inrelation to operation of the vehicle; determining the behavior of theoccupant toward the information presenting unit; and controlling theinformation presenting unit to present the notification-neededinformation to the occupant in accordance with the behavior of theoccupant determined by the occupant behavior determining unit.

A computer program that causes a notification-needed informationpresenting apparatus to operate is also provided, thenotification-needed information presenting apparatus including aninformation presenting unit capable of presenting information to anoccupant of a vehicle. The computer program causes thenotification-needed information presenting apparatus to execute:acquiring notification-needed information, which is information that theoccupant needs to be notified of through the information presenting unitin relation to operation of the vehicle; determining the behavior of theoccupant toward the information presenting unit; and controlling theinformation presenting unit to present the notification-neededinformation to the occupant in accordance with the behavior of theoccupant determined by the occupant behavior determining unit.

Effects

According to the present invention, occupants taking on various forms ofbehavior are enabled to be notified of information that the occupantsneed to be notified of.

Fifth Embodiment

Summary

A notification-needed information presenting apparatus according to thepresent application may be configured as in a fifth embodiment describedbelow.

As illustrated in FIG. 15, a notification-needed information presentingapparatus 0210 in the fifth embodiment includes an informationpresenting unit 0211, a notification-needed information acquiring unit0212, an occupant behavior determining unit 0213, a presentationcontrolling unit 0214, an advertisement presentation controlling unit0215, and an advertising information acquiring unit 0216. Thenotification-needed information acquiring unit 0212, the presentationcontrolling unit 0214, and the advertising information acquiring unit0216 are not essential components that the notification-neededinformation presenting apparatus in the fifth embodiment needs toinclude. Description of a part of the same processing as that of any ofother embodiments is omitted.

The advertisement presentation controlling unit 0215 controls theinformation presenting unit 0211 to present an advertisement inaccordance with at least one of the behavior of an occupant determinedby the occupant behavior determining unit 0213 and a condition relatedto the vehicle. It is considered that presentation of an advertisementto an occupant more effectively works if being performed in accordancewith the behavior of the occupant, the state of traveling of a vehicle,the surrounding environment, and so on. The controlling throughcontrolling advertisement presentation includes presenting noadvertisement. Advertisements herein are those that promote products orservices mainly in the pursuit of revenues and that clearly indicate theadvertisers thereof.

The behavior of an occupant is as described in connection with theoccupant behavior determining unit 0213. A wide variety of conditions,such as conditions related to the vehicle itself, conditions of thesurroundings and the environment around the vehicle, and types ofinformation being displayed by the information presenting units 0211inside the vehicle, correspond to the “condition related to thevehicle”. For example, various conditions such as the followingcorrespond thereto: the vehicle inspection expiration date; the vehicleshape; the remaining fuel quantity; the level of automated driving; theweather; the climate; the traveling speed; the operational status of anair conditioner; the open/closed statuses of windows, a sun roof, andthe like; the number of occupants; the current location; whether thevehicle is on an ordinary road or on an express highway; traffic volumesin the surrounding areas; the distance and the difference in speedbetween the vehicle and each nearby vehicle; whether there is a vehicleparked on a side of the road; the statuses of automated driving ofnearby vehicles (such as whether there are vehicles traveling in aplatoon, and the number of vehicles forming the platoon); whether thereis an accompanying vehicle and the positional relation therewith; thedestination; and the traveling history.

Some of these various conditions have been retained in an informationprocessing apparatus and an navigation device that are included in thevehicle; some are acquired by various sensors included in the vehicle;some are input through operations performed by an occupant; some areacquired through broadcasting or the Internet; and some are acquiredfrom GPS. Handling such as acquisition and retention of these conditionsis thus possible. The notification-needed information presentingapparatus in the fifth embodiment may include a vehicle conditionacquiring unit as a component for acquiring the condition related to thevehicle. In addition thereto, the advertisement presentation controllingunit 0215 may include a vehicle condition dependent advertisingpresentation controlling module configured to control the informationpresenting unit 0211 to present an advertisement in accordance with avehicle condition acquired by the vehicle condition acquiring unit.

In one aspect in the case where this notification-needed informationpresenting apparatus includes the vehicle condition acquiring unit whilethe advertisement presentation controlling unit 0215 includes a vehiclecondition dependent advertisement presentation controlling module,information that the vehicle has just crossed a border betweenprefectures is acquired as the vehicle condition, for example. Inresponse, the information presenting unit 0211 is controlled to presentan advertisement of a local special product of the prefecture newlyentered by the vehicle. In another example of the controlling, wheninformation that the vehicle is traveling on a narrow road or a roadcrowded with pedestrians is acquired as the vehicle condition, theinformation presenting unit 0211 are controlled not to present anyadvertisement. In addition, while the vehicle is traveling through atraffic jam, the information presenting unit 0211 is controlled topresent advertisements so long as ADAS is effectively functioning.

Aspects of the controlling by the advertisement presentation controllingunit 0215 include an aspect in a case where, while the occupant behaviordetermining unit 0213 includes a presented-information categoryacquiring module, the advertisement presentation controlling unit 0215includes a presented-information dependent advertisement presentationcontrolling module. The presented-information category acquiring moduleacquires a presented-information category, namely, the category ofpresented information, which is information that the informationpresenting unit 0211 is presenting to an occupant. As examples of thepresented-information category, various categories can be listed such asinformation for traveling of a vehicle, routing assistance, televisionbroadcast, a video content recorded on a medium, the Internet use, agame, and execution of various applications. As thepresented-information categories, more detailed categories may beacquired such as a program being broadcast, the content of a videocontent, and a website being used.

The presented-information dependent advertisement presentationcontrolling module controls the information presenting unit 0211 topresent an advertisement in accordance with the acquiredpresented-information category. For example, a display for driving iscontrolled to present an advertisement of an automobile supply house toan occupant viewing accumulated data on the fuel economy being displayedon the display for driving. A navigation device is controlled to presentan advertisement of a restaurant to an occupant searching for nearbyrestaurants on the navigation device. A tablet terminal is controlled topresent an advertisement of a travel to an occupant browsing informationon a tourist spot on the tablet terminal. Presenting advertisements on amobile terminal and a tablet terminal may include transmitting anadvertising tool such as a coupon or an access map to those terminals.Optionally, when the vehicle is equipped with a printer, the presentingmay include an instruction to print out a coupon or an access map.

Furthermore, the advertisement presentation controlling unit 0215 maycontrol each of the information presenting units 0211 to present anadvertisement in a manner that suits the behavior of an occupant and/ora condition related to the vehicle. For example, the display for drivingis controlled to present advertisements only by way of audio output toan occupant facing the display for driving. While the vehicle istraveling through a traffic jam and is on autopilot, the display fordriving is controlled to present video advertisements containing soundfor a relatively long period of time. While the vehicle is traveling ona winding mountainous road, the display for driving is controlled topresent simple advertisements such as a combination of a still image andaudio output of a trade name.

The advertisement presentation controlling unit 0215 may specify, inaccordance with the content of an advertisement, one of the informationpresenting units 0211 on which to present the advertisement, andcontrols the specified information presenting unit 0211 to present theadvertisement. For example, when an advertisement of an automobilesupply house or of a filling station is presented, only the informationpresenting unit 0211 that presents information for driving is controlledto present the advertisement. When an advertisement of a nearby touristfacility is presented, each of the information presenting units 0211 iscontrolled so that all of the information presenting units 0211 beingused by occupants inside the vehicle can present the advertisement.

Furthermore, the advertisement presentation controlling unit 0215 mayinclude an advertisement subordination controlling module configured tocontrol the information presenting units 0211 so that presentation ofadvertisements can be subordinated to presentation ofnotification-needed information. This is because, among matters to bepresented to occupants, notification-needed information has higherpriority than advertisements. This module controls each of theinformation presenting units 0211, for example, in such a manner thatpresentation of an advertisement is disabled while notification-neededinformation is being presented. This module may control each of theinformation presenting units 0211 to present an advertisement after theelapse of a certain period of time since presentation ofnotification-needed information or after any occupant performs anoperation for responding to the information that the occupant has beennotified of. This module may further control each of the informationpresenting units 0211 so that, when the notification-needed informationacquiring unit 0212 receives notification-needed information while anadvertisement is being presented, presentation of any video-basedadvertisements can be stopped and text-only advertisements can bedisplayed in a corner of the display screen.

The notification-needed information presenting apparatus 0210 in thefifth embodiment may further include a notification-needed informationcategory acquiring module that acquires a notification-neededinformation category, which is the category of notification-neededinformation acquired by the notification-needed information acquiringunit 0212; and the advertisement presentation controlling unit 0215 mayinclude a notification-needed information category dependentadvertisement presenting module configured to control the informationpresenting unit 0211 to present an advertisement in accordance with theacquired notification-needed information category.

The notification-needed information categories may be rough categoriesillustrated in FIG. 3 such as the surrounding environment and thevehicle, or may be detailed categories such as the weather, trafficjams, accidents, the geography of the surrounding areas, failures,equipment of the vehicle, and so on. The notification-needed informationcategories can be acquired in the following manner. Some of thenotification-needed information categories that are assigned tonotification-needed information acquired by the notification-neededinformation acquiring unit 0212 are acquired as the notification-neededinformation categories. The other notification-needed informationcategories that are not assigned thereto may be acquired in such amanner that: a table in which contents of information indicated bynotification-needed information are associated with correspondingcategories is retained; and the notification-needed informationacquiring unit 0212 acquires the notification-needed informationcategories with reference to the table.

Exemplary manners in which advertisements are presented under thecontrol of the notification-needed information category dependentpresentation controlling module are such that, when notification-neededinformation that falls into the category of accidents, an advertisementof automobile insurance is presented and such that, whennotification-needed information that falls into the category of thegeography of the surrounding areas, an advertisement of a shop sellinglocal special products.

The timing of presentation of an advertisement may be controlled so asto suit the notification-needed information category thereof. Forexample, when notification-needed information that falls into such acategory as accidents or failures is presented, presentation of anadvertisement is controlled so that the advertisement can be presentedafter a little time passes from the time of presentation of thenotification-needed information, without being presented immediatelyafter the presentation. This is because, immediately afternotification-needed information such as the occurrence of an accident ora failure is presented, an occupant may be too busy in responding tosuch an emergency to pay attention to advertisements.

The advertising information acquiring unit 0216 acquires advertisinginformation, which is information for presenting advertisements, inaccordance with any one or more of: the behavior of a correspondingoccupant that has been determined; the condition related to the vehicle;the presented-information category; notification-needed information;attribute information on users including the occupant; vehicle stateinformation indicating the state of the vehicle; vehicle accessoryequipment state information indicating the states of accessory equipmentof the vehicle; travel history information indicating the travel historyof the vehicle; and travel schedule information indicating the travelschedule of the vehicle. The attribute information on users includingthe occupant, the vehicle state information indicating the state of thevehicle, the vehicle accessory equipment state information indicatingthe states of accessory equipment of the vehicle, the travel historyinformation indicating the travel history of the vehicle, and the travelschedule information indicating the travel schedule of the vehicle aredescribed in a sixth embodiment, as described in further detail below.

In the notification-needed information presenting apparatus 0210 in thefifth embodiment, as described above, presentation of advertisements iscontrolled in accordance with various conditions such as the behavior ofa corresponding occupant and a condition related to the vehicle. Anadvertisement that suits various conditions such as the behavior of theoccupant and the condition related to the vehicle is presented.Correspondingly, the advertising information for presentingadvertisements in accordance with any one or more of the above-describedvarious conditions is acquired. The advertising information can beacquired through a communication line, public broadcast, or the like.

Effects

The notification-needed information presenting apparatus 0210 in thefifth embodiment presents advertisements in accordance with variousconditions inside and outside a vehicle and the behavior of an occupant.

Appeals of advertisements to the occupant can be thus enhanced.

Sixth Embodiment

Summary

A notification-needed information presenting apparatus according to thepresent application may be configured as in a sixth embodiment describedbelow.

Configuration

FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating an example of functional blocksof a notification-needed information presenting apparatus in the sixthembodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 16, a notification-needed informationpresenting apparatus 0910 in the sixth embodiment includes aninformation presenting unit 0911, an occupant behavior determining unit0912, an advertisement presentation controlling unit 0913, and anattribute and other information acquiring unit 0914; and theadvertisement presentation controlling unit 0913 includes an attributeand other information dependent advertisement presentation controllingmodule 0915. Illustration and description of a notification-neededinformation acquiring unit, a presentation controlling unit, and anadvertising information acquiring unit is omitted. The informationpresenting unit 0911 and the occupant behavior determining unit 0912 arethe same as the corresponding units in the fifth embodiment anddescription thereof is therefore omitted.

The attribute and other information acquiring unit 0914 acquiresattribute and other information, which is information that is any one ormore of: attribute information on users including a correspondingoccupant; the vehicle state information indicating the state of avehicle; the vehicle accessory equipment state information indicatingthe states of accessory equipment of the vehicle; the travel historyinformation indicating the travel history of the vehicle; and the travelschedule information indicating the travel schedule of the vehicle.

The term “users” means all persons that are likely to use thisnotification-needed information presenting apparatus regardless ofwhether or not each is currently riding on the vehicle. The attributeinformation on users including an occupant is, for example, variouskinds of information on users such as genders, ages, occupations,hobbies, and member registration numbers of some memberships ifapplicable. The attribute information on the users is acquired throughinput operations or the like performed by the respective users.

The vehicle state information and the vehicle accessory equipment stateinformation are acquired through detection modules installed in thevehicle or in the accessory equipment, or are acquired by being input bythe users. The travel history information and the travel scheduleinformation are acquired from a navigation device installed in avehicle, or are acquired by being input by the users. The attribute andother information may be: vehicle inspection information such as thevehicle inspection expiration date and contents of inspection andmaintenance; insurance information such as the expiration date and thecontractual coverage of a voluntary insurance; or other informationdirectly or indirectly related to operation of the vehicle.

The attribute and other information dependent advertisement presentationcontrolling module 0915 controls the information presenting unit 0911 topresent an advertisement in accordance with the acquired attribute andother information. For example, when the users include a child, theinformation presenting unit 0911 is controlled to present anadvertisement of an amusement park or the like. The attribute and otherinformation dependent advertisement presentation controlling module 0915also controls, in accordance with the attribute and other information,which screen of the screens of the information presenting units 0911 anadvertisement is displayed on, and what manner of expression (such as anexpression form of images or characters) is employed in thepresentation. The information presenting unit 0911 is further controlledto present advertisements related to hobbies of the users. Furthermore,when the users include an aged person, the information presenting unit0911 is controlled to present an advertisement with a higher outputsound volume and enlarged text.

When the users have memberships that allow the user to receive variousservices such as a point service and a mileage service, the informationpresenting unit 0911 is further controlled to present advertisements offacilities or the like at which the services can be received.Optionally, the information presenting unit 0911 may be controlled topresent advertisements of various service providers with which the usersdo not have a membership.

Furthermore, the information presenting unit 0911 is controlled topresent an advertisement of an automobile dealer or an automotivemaintenance shop in accordance with the first year registration date ofthe vehicle acquired as the vehicle state information, and iscontrolled, when December has come, to present an advertisement of atire shop in accordance with the vehicle accessory equipment stateinformation indicating that the vehicle is wearing summer tires. Theinformation presenting unit 0911 is also controlled to presentadvertisements of a supermarket and an outdoor equipment store that arelocated near the route to the destination, in accordance with the travelschedule information indicating that the destination is a camping site.

Effects

Presentation of advertisements in accordance with the attribute andother information makes it possible to perform advertising that is morehighly relevant to the users and the vehicle in a timely manner.

As described above, a notification-needed information presentingapparatus according to the present application includes: at least oneinformation presenting unit capable of presenting information to anoccupant of a vehicle; an occupant behavior determining unit configuredto determine the behavior of the occupant toward the informationpresenting unit; and an advertisement presentation controlling unitconfigured to control the information presenting unit to present anadvertisement in accordance with at least one of the behavior of theoccupant determined by the occupant behavior determining unit and acondition related to the vehicle.

Another notification-needed information presenting apparatus is providedthat includes the above composition, and further include anotification-needed information acquiring unit configured to acquirenotification-needed information, which is information that the occupantneeds to be notified of through the information presenting unit inrelation to operation of the vehicle. In this notification-neededinformation presenting apparatus, the advertisement presentationcontrolling unit includes an advertisement subordination controllingmodule configured to control the information presenting unit so thatpresentation of advertisements can be subordinated to presentation ofnotification-needed information. Still another notification-neededinformation presenting apparatus is provided that includes the abovecomposition, and further includes a notification-needed informationcategory acquiring unit configured to acquire a notification-neededinformation category, which is the category of notification-neededinformation acquired by the notification-needed information acquiringunit. In this notification-needed information presenting apparatus, theadvertisement presentation controlling unit includes anotification-needed information category dependent advertisementpresentation controlling module configured to control the informationpresenting unit to present an advertisement in accordance with theacquired notification-needed information category.

Still another notification-needed information presenting apparatus isprovided that includes any one of the above compositions, in which: theoccupant behavior determining unit includes a presented-informationcategory acquiring module configured to acquire a presented-informationcategory, namely, the category of presented information, which isinformation that the information presenting unit is presenting to anoccupant; and the advertisement presentation controlling unit includes apresented-information dependent advertisement presentation controllingmodule configured to control the information presenting unit to presentan advertisement in accordance with the acquired presented-informationcategory.

Still another notification-needed information presenting apparatus isprovided that includes any one of the above compositions, and furtherincludes an attribute and other information acquiring unit configured toacquire attribute and other information, which is information that isany one or more of: attribute information on users including acorresponding occupant; the vehicle state information indicating thestate of a vehicle; the vehicle accessory equipment state informationindicating the states of accessory equipment of the vehicle; the travelhistory information indicating the travel history of the vehicle; andthe travel schedule information indicating the travel schedule of thevehicle. In this notification-needed information presenting apparatus,the advertisement presentation controlling unit includes a attribute andother information dependent advertisement presentation controllingmodule configured to control the information presenting unit to presentan advertisement in accordance with the attribute and other informationacquired.

Still another notification-needed information presenting apparatus isprovided that includes any one of the above compositions, and furtherincludes a vehicle condition acquiring unit configured to acquire avehicle condition, which is the condition related to a vehicle. In thisnotification-needed information presenting apparatus, the advertisementpresentation controlling unit includes a vehicle condition dependentadvertisement presentation controlling module configured to control theinformation presenting unit to present an advertisement in accordancewith the acquired vehicle condition.

An information processing method to be carried out in anotification-needed information presenting apparatus including aninformation presenting unit capable of presenting information to anoccupant of a vehicle is also provided that includes: determining thebehavior of the occupant toward the information presenting unit; andcontrolling the information presenting unit to present an advertisementin accordance with at least one of the behavior of the occupantdetermined at the determining behavior of the occupant and a conditionrelated to vehicle.

A computer program configured to cause a notification-needed informationpresenting apparatus to operate, the notification-needed informationpresenting apparatus including an information presenting unit capable ofpresenting information to an occupant of a vehicle, is also providedthat causes the notification-needed information presenting apparatus toexecute: determining the behavior of the occupant toward the informationpresenting unit; and controlling the information presenting unit topresent an advertisement in accordance with at least one of the behaviorof the occupant determined at the determining behavior of the occupantand a condition related to the vehicle.

According to the present invention, advertisements can be presented inmanners suiting various situations that occupants are in and thebehavior of the occupants.

Although the invention has been described with respect to specificembodiments for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims arenot to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying allmodifications and alternative constructions that may occur to oneskilled in the art that fairly fall within the basic teaching herein setforth.

What is claimed is:
 1. A notification-needed information presentingapparatus comprising: a plurality of display devices configured todisplay information to an occupant of a vehicle, the plurality ofdisplay devices including: (i) installed devices on the vehicle, and(ii) at least one non-installed device on the vehicle, which areremovable from the vehicle, the at least one non-installed devicedetecting a behavior of the occupant based on an operation state of thenon-installed device; at least one sensor included in each of theinstalled devices of the plurality of display devices, each sensor beingconfigured to detect at least one of: a position of the occupant, andthe behavior of the occupant; and a processor operatively coupled withthe plurality of display devices and each of the at least one sensor,the processor being programmed to: acquire notification-neededinformation, which is information that the occupant needs to be notifiedof through the plurality of display devices in relation to operation ofthe vehicle; determine behavior of the occupant toward the plurality ofdisplay devices based on the position of the occupant and the behaviorof the occupant detected by the installed devices and the behavior ofthe occupant detected by the at least one non-installed device;determine a notification level of a plurality of notification levels ofthe notification-needed information to be displayed on the plurality ofdisplay devices, the plurality of notification levels indicating adegree to which the occupant needs to be notified of thenotification-needed information; and control the plurality of displaydevices to display an advertisement to the occupant in a subordinatedmanner as compared to the notification-needed information in accordancewith (i) at least one of: the determined behavior of the occupant, and acondition related to the vehicle, and (ii) the determined notificationlevel of the plurality of notification levels.
 2. Thenotification-needed information presenting apparatus according to claim1, wherein the processor is programmed to: acquire apresented-information category, which is a category of presentedinformation, which is information that the plurality of display devicespresent to the occupant; and control the plurality of display devices topresent the advertisement in accordance with the acquiredpresented-information category.
 3. The notification-needed informationpresenting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor isprogrammed to: acquire attribute and vehicle-related information, whichis information including any one or more pieces of: attributeinformation on users including the occupant, vehicle state informationindicating a state of the vehicle, vehicle accessory equipment stateinformation indicating states of accessory equipment of the vehicle,travel history information indicating travel history of the vehicle, andtravel schedule Information indicating a travel schedule of the vehicle;and control the plurality of display devices to present theadvertisement in accordance with the acquired attribute andvehicle-related information.
 4. The notification-needed informationpresenting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor isprogrammed to: acquire a vehicle condition, which is a condition relatedto the vehicle; and control the plurality of display devices to presentthe advertisement in accordance with the acquired vehicle condition. 5.The notification-needed information presenting apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to: acquire anotification-needed information category, which is a category of theacquired notification-needed information; and control the plurality ofdisplay devices to present the advertisement in accordance with theacquired notification-needed information category.
 6. Thenotification-needed information presenting apparatus according to claim1, wherein the processor is programmed to: specify one of the pluralityof display devices used by the occupant; and control the specified oneof the plurality of display devices to present the notification-neededinformation.
 7. The notification-needed information presenting apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to: acquire apresented-information category, which is a category of presentedinformation, which is information that the plurality of display devicespresent to the occupant; and control the plurality of display devices topresent the notification-needed information in accordance with theacquired presented-information category.
 8. The notification-neededinformation presenting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein theprocessor is programmed to: highlight the notification-neededinformation as compared to other information presented by the pluralityof display devices; and control the plurality of display devices topresent, as a piece of the notification-needed information, anoperational-control receiving graphic user interface (GUI) that receivesoperational control on the vehicle from the occupant.
 9. Anotification-needed information presenting method to be carried out in anotification-needed information presenting apparatus including (i) aplurality of display devices configured to display information to anoccupant of a vehicle, the plurality of display devices includinginstalled devices on the vehicle, and at least one non-installed deviceon the vehicle, which are removable from the vehicle, the at least onenon-installed device detecting a behavior of the occupant based on anoperation state of the non-installed device, and (ii) at least onesensor included in each of the installed devices of the plurality ofdisplay devices, each sensor being configured to detect at least one of:a position of the occupant, and the behavior of the occupant, thenotification-needed information presenting method comprising: acquiringnotification-needed information, which is information that the occupantneeds to be notified of through the plurality of display devices inrelation to operation of the vehicle; determining a behavior of theoccupant towards the plurality of display devices based on the positionof the occupant and the behavior of the occupant detected by theinstalled devices and the behavior of the occupant detected by the atleast one non-installed device; determining a notification level of aplurality of notification levels of the notification-needed informationto be displayed on the plurality of display devices, the plurality ofnotification levels indicating a degree to which the occupant needs tobe notified of the notification-needed information; and controlling theplurality of display devices to display an advertisement to the occupantin a subordinated manner as compared to the notification-neededinformation in accordance with (i) at least one of: the determinedbehavior of the occupant, and a condition related to the vehicle, and(ii) the determined notification level of the plurality of notificationlevels.
 10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium havingstored therein a notification-needed information presenting program thatcauses a notification-needed information presenting apparatus tooperate, the notification-needed information presenting apparatusincluding: (i) a plurality of display devices configured to displayinformation to an occupant of a vehicle, the plurality of displaydevices including installed devices on the vehicle, and at least onenon-installed device on the vehicle, which are removable from thevehicle, the at least one non-installed device detecting a behavior ofthe occupant based on an operation state of the non-installed device,and (ii) at least one sensor included in each of the installed devicesof the plurality of display devices, each sensor being configured todetect at least one of: a position of the occupant, and the behavior ofthe occupant, the notification-needed information presenting programcausing the notification-needed information presenting apparatus toexecute: acquiring notification-needed information, which is informationthat the occupant needs to be notified of through the plurality ofdisplay devices in relation to operation of the vehicle; determiningbehavior of the occupant towards the plurality of display devices basedon the position of the occupant and the behavior of the occupantdetected by the installed devices and the behavior of the occupantdetected by the at least one non-installed device; determining anotification level of a plurality of notification levels of thenotification-needed information to be displayed on the plurality ofdisplay devices, the plurality of notification levels indicating adegree to which the occupant needs to be notified of thenotification-needed information; and controlling the plurality ofdisplay devices to display an advertisement to the occupant in asubordinated manner as compared to the notification-needed informationin accordance with (i) at least one of: the determined behavior of theoccupant, and a condition related to the vehicle, and (ii) thedetermined notification level of the plurality of notification levels.